Kansas State Track and Field Recruiting Class
College Track and Field Recruiting
Kansas State Director of Cross Country and Track and Field, Cliff Rovelto announced the addition of nine athletes to the Fall 2023 roster.
A brief of rundown of each signee is below:
Paige Baker is a distance runner from Olathe West High School in Olathe, Kan. In 2022 her 4x800 relay team won the KSHSAA 6A State Championships, and during the cross country season, she finished eighth in the 6A Championships. She joins K-State with a personal best of 18:40.0 in the cross country and 5,000 meters, 5:15.50 in the 1,600 meters and 11:21.26 in the 3,200 meters.
Christine Jerono is from Kobujoi, Kenya where she attends Ndurio Secondary High School. As a distance runner she was the Regional Secondary School Cross Country Champion as well as in the 5,000 meters. She has personal bests on the track in the 3,000 meters at 9:35.80, the 5,000 meters at 16:49.62 and in the cross country 6,000 meters at 20:59.0.
Tyrique Lewis is from Sanford, Fla., where he competes for Seminole High School. In 2022 his 4x400 relay team was runner up at the USATF Junior Olympics and third place in the 4x100 relay. During FHSAA 4A Outdoor Finals his 4x100 team were State Champions and runner up in the 4x400 relay. He has personal bests in the 400m at 48.25 seconds and in the 200m at 21.32 seconds.
Ian Ludlam is from Tampa, Fla., attending Alonso High School. He is a sprinter, competing in the 200 (22.26) and 400 (48.42) meter dash, where he is ranked top-20 in both for the state of Florida.
Riley Marx comes from Andale High School in Andale, Kan., where he threw discus and javelin and was also on the football team as linebacker. He was the KSHSAA 4A State Champion in both javelin and discus in 2021 and 2022 and will throw the javelin for the Wildcats with a personal best of 63.93m/209-9.
Vanessa Mercera, a native of Willemstad, Curaçao, is a junior transfer from Cloud County Community College. As a multi athlete she most recently won the women's heptathlon at the NJCAA Region VI Championships with 4,617 points. During the 2023 NJCAA Indoor National Championships she was runner up in the women's pentathlon with her personal best score of 3,817 points. Notably she has other personal best in the high jump at 1.72m/5-7.75 and in the 600 meters at 1:33.74.
Josephine Wanjiku Mwaura is also from Kenya, Eldama Ravine, where she attends Sinonin Secondary High School. She was the Kenyan Secondary Schools 10,000 meter Champion and qualified for the Kenyan Senior Cross Country Championship. Her personal bests include 34:12.77 in the 10,000 meters, 16:26.01 in the 5,000, 9:29.67 in the 3,000 meters and 20:53.0 in the cross country 6,000 meters.
Tavon Underwood is from Mead High School in Longmont, Colo. At the 2023 Nike Indoor Nationals he was the 400 meter dash National Champion, while he placed third in the 200 meters. His 400 meter dash time of 46.40 is ranked No. 1 in the state of Colorado and No. 6 nationally. His 200 meter time of 21.51 is No. 3 in Colorado and No. 1 in CHSAA Class 4A, while his 100-meter time of 10.51 is No. 4 in Class 4A.
Andrew White is a graduate transfer from Wake Forest, originally from Canton, Ohio. With one more outdoor season of eligibility, White will compete in the discus and hammer throw, with personal bests of 58.22m/191-0 and 63.03m/206-9. He earned Second Team All-American honors in the hammer throw at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships, while he finished third in the discus at the ACC Outdoor Championships on May 13.
Joining these nine signees are two who were signed in November - Nen Matlock and Devin Chappel.
Matlock is a sprinter from Shawnee Mission, Kan., where she attended Mill Valley High School, running the 200, 400 and 800 meters. Chappel is a distance runner from Garden City, Kan., where she ran in the 1,600, 3,200 and 5,000 meters in track and cross country.